Volume 30, Issue 1, 2021
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.2020
Instructional Approaches to Critical Thinking: An Overview of Reviews
Abstract
Recent research has started to explore how different instructional approaches can foster
the development of critical thinking across various disciplines in different stages
education. Critical thinking is a controversial issue, in terms of definition and
development, so researching it never stops. This overview aimed to explore the different
instructional approaches to critical thinking to do date; how they affect the development
of critical thinking; and how frequent they are used. Six approaches – dispositions,
general, infusion, immersion, mixed, and holistic, were overviewed in seven reviews. The
overview presented a table summarizing the findings of the reviews of instructional
approaches to critical thinking in terms of the number of reviewed studies, the types of
participants, and the different approaches to critical thinking: effectiveness and
frequency of use. The overview came to certain conclusions. This immersion approach
has the least effect and the most frequently used. The mixed approach is the most
effective one and it the least frequently used. The longer the exposure is to one single
approach, the more effective the approach is found to be. Further research is needed to
settle the controversial issues discussed in the article
Keywords
Instructional Approach; Critical Thinking; Overview; Review; Frequency of Use, Effectiveness